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Contact Info
Home Town Los Angeles, California
Last Address San Marcos, California
Date of Passing Apr 07, 1994
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
In Korea he destroyed 5 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and damaged 3.
His Silver Star citation: Awarded for actions during the Korean War
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Colonel Robert P. Baldwin, United States Air Force, for gallantry in action while serving as Pilot of an F-86 Fighter Airplane and Commanding Officer of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Group, in action on 22 June 1953, in Korea. Colonel Baldwin distinguished himself while leading four (4) F-86 type aircraft on a fighter sweep along the Manchurian Border. He sighted four (4) enemy MIG-15 type aircraft pressing an attack against two (2) friendly aircraft and immediately led his flight into the enemy. After successfully breaking up the enemy attack, Colonel Baldwin rolled down on the trailing MIG and fired a short burst into his left wing and fuselage. Colonel Baldwin continued to score numerous hits as heavy smoke poured from both wings and the enemy aircraft went into a steep dive through the clouds. Colonel Baldwin followed him through the cloud layer and pulled up sharply to avoid hitting the ground. Later reports confirmed the destruction of the MiG. By his personal courage and exceptional flying ability in this action, Colonel Baldwin is credited with destroying his fifth (5th) MIG-15 type aircraft. Throughout his tour, Colonel Baldwin's aggressive spirit and mental alertness have brought great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. The Ground Air Transmitting Receiving (GATR) Site (R-18) for communications was located at approximately 1.1 miles souh-southwest from the SAGE building. Normally the GATR site was connected by a pair of buried telephone cables, with a backup connection of dual telephone cables overhead.
DC-18 was initially under the San Francisco Air Defense Sector (SFADS), established on 15 February 1959. DC-18 and the SFADS was inactivated on 1 August 1963 as part of an ADC consolidation and reorganization, with its assigned units assigned to other ADC Sectors. The GATR was reassigned to Mill Valley AFS (Z-38) as an annex designated OL-A, 666th Radar Squadron. Today the large SAGE building is now building 2145, housing the 9th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron; the GATR was inactivated in 1980 and the building is now part of a Skeet-shooting range.
